


Evidence of Life

by AraSigyrn



Category: DCU - Comicverse
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-05-27
Updated: 2011-05-27
Packaged: 2017-10-19 20:05:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 937
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/204710
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AraSigyrn/pseuds/AraSigyrn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Growth is the only evidence of life" - John Henry Newman<br/>Set during Nightwing Year One</p>
            </blockquote>





	Evidence of Life

Superman is waiting for him in the Cave.

Alfred must have known. He was at his most officious; tidying away the debris of Bruce-Wayne-Playboy's day and 'suggesting' in his most insistent manner that Jason should spend another hour on his book report before Robin goes out onto the mean streets. Bruce could argue but Alfred is pure British hauteur and Bruce isn't brave enough to face disappointing him again. Not yet.

Batman would be fearless. Batman doesn't have to face Alfred's silent rebuke. Bruce escaped to the Cave only to find the big blue Boy Scout hovering in front of the computer.

Superman looks down at him with the smile he normally reserves for civilians. Even in the gloom of the Cave, Superman is bright, almost radiant. Bruce bristles. He feels exposed without the protection of Batman's cape and cowl and has to suppress the urge to order Superman out. Clark might go. Superman is clearly on a mission.

"What do you want?"

"Good evening, Bruce." Superman sing-songs. "I'm fine, thank you for asking. How are you?"

Bruce glares up at him. It isn't particularly intimidating; he's too far off kilter. Not really Bruce but not yet safely behind Batman's cowl " _Clark._ "

Superman drifts down until his cape brushes the floor. "Have you heard from Dick lately?"

His jaw locks, teeth grinding together and Batman's icy glare comes naturally this time. "Dick has his own life now."

"No word from your contacts on how he's doing?" Superman is baiting him. He knows it. It doesn't stop the sting of shock-pain-anger. Even Alfred has given up questioning him about Dick.

"Dick is entitled to his privacy."

"Dick is _hurting_." Superman snaps back and suddenly, Bruce realizes that Clark isn't baiting him. He's angry; genuinely furious. "He's not safe, Bruce. He's damn near _broken_!"

It's the first time Bruce has ever heard Clark swear, in or out of Superman's colours. His surprise steals his voice and Superman ploughs on, voice harsh. "He came to Metropolis with only the clothes on his back. He didn't even know my new office number and I _know_ I told you what it was! He had to ask at reception to see if I was even there! Did you even let him eat before you threw him out!?"

Bruce can't think, can't remember if their argument had come before or after dinner. He remembers Alfred, a tray and broken dishes, Dick's favourite cookies…but not if Dick ate anything.

Superman folds his arms and takes a deep breath. "And do you know what he did then? He followed me out to deal with some terrorists. Did your contacts tell you about the bomb, Bruce? Did they tell you that he dived off a building rather than wait for me to finish off the rest of the cell? Did they tell you how close he came to killing himself? Or doesn't that matter anymore now that he's not Robin?"

Superman's voice echoes, stirring up the bats but Bruce barely notices them. His mind whirls and scrabbles to process. A bomb? But he made sure Dick left all of Robin's equipment behind. All the batarangs, the smoke-bombs and the jump-lines; even the armour is still hanging in the case. He'd made sure of it. Dick was supposed to be safer without the temptation of Robin.

"Is he-?" He knows the answer already. Superman would never have left Dick alone if he were hurt or in danger. But his heart is racing, hands sticky with sweat in the pattern of Dick's blood.

"He's sleeping." Superman's voice softens. "I took him flying so we could talk."

Bruce nods but Batman is prowling the shadowy corner of his mind, seething with the need to be _sure_ Robin is unhurt. The need to protect, to guard is still as strong as ever and his heart drops under the weight of realization. Firing Dick does not make Dick safer. Without Robin to bind them together, Batman cannot order, command or insist; only ask and hope to be heard.

"Bruce…" Superman's hand is a sudden weight on already over-burdened shoulders.

"Don't." Bruce knocks the hand aside and storms off towards the locker room.

"He's not a child anymore, Bruce." Superman's voice stops him dead.

"He's still too young."

"He's a hero and a fine young man." Superman's eyes are too knowing, too wise and Bruce remembers Dick's brilliant smile and the way he stammered and blushed around Superman. "You should be proud."

"Gloating doesn't become you, Kent."

"I didn't come here to 'gloat'. I didn't even come here to yell at you, no matter how much you deserve it. "

"Then why are you here?"

"I wanted you to know that your son is still the man – the _hero_ \- he was a month ago." Superman lifts into the air and he looks down at Bruce. "He wants you to be part of his life so I want you to be part of his life. No matter how badly you mess up. I won't ask him to choose between us."

He's gone before Bruce can reply. The Cave seems darker in his absence. The bats' squeaking dies down until only the hum of the generators breaks the silence. Bruce listens for a moment, then turns sharply to reach for the phone. He punches in the Metropolis area code. Halfway through the number for Clark's apartment, he hesitates. Is the number -223 or -232?

His mind is blank.

Then he hears Jason clattering down the stairs, bosterious and eager and Bruce puts the phone down.

He can call tomorrow.

The day after at the latest.  



End file.
